Why Nick Saban's concern about LB corps is justified

Since Ben Davis arrived at Alabama in 2016, he has remained a curiosity among the Crimson Tide's fan base. Over time, he has become the program's own Loch Ness because the sightings of the former five-star recruit from Gordo are rare.

So too are his mentions -- at least those made during the on-campus news conferences held by his head coach, Nick Saban. Before this weekend, Saban uttered Davis' name only once in the previous 15 months.

Then he dropped it again Saturday as he lamented the potential fallout from the season-ending knee injury sophomore pass rusher Chris Allen suffered.

"We basically have Anfernee [Jennings] and Christian Miller, who have been starters around here," said Saban. "Past that, we have Ben Davis and two freshmen. That's basically what we have. If we had more inside linebackers, Josh McMillon could play the position. But I'm not sure we could afford to move him. So we're very thin at those two positions right now."

That Saban considers Davis a top reserve at a premium position should be a cause for concern. The redshirt sophomore has logged six snaps in his career and all of them came against Mercer -- an FCS team.

The scant playing time Davis has received is a direct result of the lack of confidence he has inspired among a coaching staff that has also tried to use him at inside linebacker.

Yet in spite of his shortcomings Davis has made a steady climb up the depth chart by dint of circumstance.

Keith Holcombe's decision to leave the team and focus on baseball, the subsequent dismissal of sophomore VanDarius Cowan and the torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered by Terrell Lewis has thinned Alabama's front at the same time it has caused Saban to fret.

"You just think whatever happens, we just shit another player," Saban said. "Everything is going to be perfect. All of our fans think that. You think that. That's what you write about. That's the message that you send out there. Yeah, I worry about it all the time. I may be the only one, but I do worry about it. So I'm very worried about it."

He has reason to feel distressed. His top linebackers -- Jennings, Miller, Mack Wilson and Dylan Moses -- all suffered serious injuries in 2017 and missed multiple games. Behind them, as Saban noted, are a bunch of talented but inexperienced defenders like Eyabi Anoma, Jarez Parks and Markail Benton.

For a coach who obsessively prepares for worst-case scenarios and formulates contingency plans to mitigate potential disasters, Saban knows Alabama is perilously close to realizing a serious predicament.

The situation is already troubling, considering the Tide is relying on a rebuilt secondary that will need to be protected by a sustained pass rush blunted by the absence of Lewis.

This is a challenging time for Saban -- a coach whom many claim plays with a stacked deck but is haunted by his own belief that he never has enough in his arsenal.

Saban revealed his anxiety Saturday during his news conference-- not so much when he cussed, but rather when he dropped Davis' name.

After all, it was a telling acknowledgment that the depth in the linebacker corps has been seriously compromised.

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin